Legacy: Teasers
by StrayValkyrie
Summary: Here's where I'll post teasers of Legacy; small snippets of scenes I'll be working on between chapters. Chapter Three: First Encounter -- The man beamed at them, stepping forward to join their group. “Call me Donovan.”
1. Dream

.:`'~ Legacy ~'`:.

_Teaser_

_-=-=-=-=-=-_

Send a heartbeat to  
The void that cries through you  
Relive the pictures that have come to pass  
For now we stand alone

_-=-=-=-=-=-_

_**(Authors Note :: The scenes in the Teasers aren't going to happen exactly as they are read here, but they do all happen in some size, shape or form. Enjoy!)**  
_

_This was different._

_He was confused. For a moment, he did nothing but stand perfectly still and survey what lay before him. He didn't remember walking here and certainly didn't remember __why he was here. The room was completely unfamiliar to him, but he felt like he __should be here. It was practically natural._

_Cloud was standing in an incredibly large circular room. It could've easily been something more of a main hall by sheer size, but the long polished table that sat in the center of the room screamed dining. Especially with the plates and bowls and platters of fresh, hot food that sat on it. There were many chairs at the table, and the feast set from one end to the other was far too large for a single person, or even a small group. It looked like it was ready for an entire small village to come tumbling in with thirsty throats and empty bellies. And it smelled absolutely __wonderful._

_Cloud stepped forward slowly, his boots clicking on the polished and gleaming floors softly. On the far end of the room to his left a large fire cracked and popped in a fireplace that stood taller than he did, and easily just as wide. Upon it's mantle stood several large candles and statues, the entirety of the fireplace providing most of the light in the dim room. Other candles were scattered throughout, mostly in groups of three that perched on the walls. A heavy, thick and lush carpet deep red in color lay before the fireplace with several others laying around the room, and off to the side of the room large plush chairs, sofas and love seats that sat aristocratically, their armrests coated in gold and silver and shimmering tassles. There were large paintings on the walls, but he was far too occupied to bother looking at them. There didn't appear to be any way in or out of the room, and it's high ceiling disappeared into shadows high above the four large columns that supported it. Everything before him was lit well enough he could see, but further on even his Mako-enhanced vision failed to see past the shadows that flickered across the corners of the room._

_His attention, however, was on the table. The scent of the food permeated the air and it smelled simply __divine. Cloud wasn't hungry at all and felt no need to eat anything, but he felt himself drawn to the table nonetheless. His blue eyes glanced over the feast that presented itself to him and he walked along the table slowly as he glanced over all of the prepared food. Fruits, vegetables and meat of all baked, fried and roasted kinds met his eyes, steam rising from the hot platters. Freshly baked bread sat split open with drips of honey running down them and desserts were tucked in between the platters. Anything he could possibly imagine was here, and it was strange because just when he thought of it, the food would just so happen be right down the line. Cloud found this surprisingly amusing and suppressed the small twitch of a grin on his lips._

_Ice cream._

_And there it was. A bowl sat upon a silver platter full of ice, innocently offering him three distinct flavors with a long-handled gleaming spoon ready at its side._

_Applesauce._

_A few steps further down and he could see a jar of it tucked conveniently between a large roasted hen and a bowl of what smelled like a wonderful vegetable stew._

_Deciding to try something different and out of place in such an extravagant feast, he whispered quietly into the tranquil silence__, "Chewing gum."_

_He was delighted to see a pack of wintergreen chewing gum resting on the edge of the table, just past the edge of a chair he hadn't seen over before. Cloud couldn't help but huff under his breath as he reached over, taking the pack of gum in his hands and inspecting it. Squeezing it gently, he felt the candy give beneath his fingertips. He didn't take any of it, setting it back once he'd sated his curiosity._

_It was almost a shame that this feast would go uneaten. He knew that no one would come, and the beautiful food prepared so wonderfully would eventually grow cold and forgotten. What wouldn't be eaten by rats and insects would be overcome with mold, and the polished platters would tarnish and rust. A shame, really, he thought. It had a wonderful purpose, all of it did. But with no one here to take advantage of it it was just a sadly wasted resource._

_Maybe he could partake in a __small portion. Cloud licked his lips, sliding his hands into his pockets as he walked along to the very end of the table closest to the fireplace. The flickering flames gave the room an eerie, orange red glow, and his body was silhouetted with a fiery bright halo. Cloud looked down at the table to see that a spot had become suddenly clear, and sitting in it was a glass of wine. Though to be honest, for all he knew it could actually be kool-aid or some dark colored tea. But he knew it was wine. He knew it was wine as easily as he knew how to breathe and he did not question this knowledge. The liquid lay still and inviting in its glass chalice, and when Cloud took his right hand out to take the glass off the table he was afraid to disturb the calm and tranquil surface. Lifting it carefully he held it before him at eye level. He was mesmerized._

_The chalice was larger than his hand and rested on a stem as thick as two of his fingers. The crystal had been elegantly carved, it's sides chiseled into perfectly cut shapes resembling stars and moons and symbols, and the points came together so perfectly that the firelight danced energetically within the red liquid on the other side. Ripples of light were caught and reflected against Cloud's eyes, and he found himself absolutely entranced. He knew that the light would be criss-crossing over his face, and knew that if he'd been in front of a mirror he'd look as though he were beneath the ocean's waves looking up, with the sun dancing over him._

_Cloud wasn't thirsty. He wouldn't drink from the chalice, but he couldn't help but bring it closer to his face until his lips brushed over the edge of it. He inhaled softly and deeply, and the crisp scent of something unique and nearly indescribable whispered into his mind. It was sharp and tickled his nose, leaving a cold, icy air in the back of his throat. Cloud closed his eyes, taking another breath of the intoxicating bouquet, lips parting slightly to taste the air._

_Arms wrapped around him then, snaking their way gently over his own and crossing over his chest. He was forced to move his arm and the chalice away so they wouldn't get caught, but he wasn't the least bit alarmed at the sudden embrace. If anything he found that he felt very comfortable here, like it was something he'd known all along. The arms were solid and the heavy weight against his back was warm. Cloud felt safe and he felt comforted by the body that shielded him from the light in the room. There was nothing here that would hurt him and he was very complacent, peaceful. His blue eyes remained closed as he felt the body behind him shift, and he could feel a warm breath caressing the side of his neck, washing over his ear as something __hair tickled his shoulder._

_Cloud realized that this is what he was waiting for. This was the reason he was here. And now that he had it he allowed himself to relax against the body behind him, trusting beyond all doubt the strength of those arms to keep him up as he let go of his knees, letting his body completely sag against the broad chest behind him. His trust was rewarded by the unyielding power of the muscled arms as they gently thrummed with energy, holding him securely aloft as his knees buckled beneath him. The breath washed over his ear again, and Cloud's eyes slowly parted in half-lidded contentment. He was at a state of complete and absolute relaxation. There was a smooth, rumbling deep vibration in the chest behind him as a voice softly huffed in amusement. It was deep and rich, smooth as velvet and silk and if he hadn't of already let himself go before he certainly would have then. The voice whispered against his ear and caressed his mind as gently as any lover and Cloud melted, his vision blurring as everything faded out of focus. Everything but that voice, that wonderfully deep voice and that mind numbingly intoxicating bouquet, the warmth of the body folded around him as hot as any fire._

_"Clou-"_

_His traitorous hand twitched and the chalice slipped from his fingers. It fell towards the ground much too slowly, splinters of green light bouncing off its sides--_

Cloud jolted awake so ferociously that his whole body jerked, throwing itself with such force that he was halfway off the bed before his eyes had even opened. His breathing was ragged and heavy, chest heaving with the effort to make up for lost oxygen. He felt like he hadn't breathed in hours, his lungs burned and ached and stung something fierce. His entire body felt like it was on fire; he was absolutely drenched in sweat.

Frozen to the spot, he realized his top half lay off the bed and he was being supported by his hands flat on the wooden floor beneath him, slowly slipping beneath clammy palms. His legs still lay on the bed, his back arched painfully in a bent position. Cloud felt like the proverbial deer in headlights, his blue eyes impossibly wide as he forced himself to take a moment and get his bearings. The room was familiar and he recognized it as his own. The window was dark, so it was still nightfall. He must've been thrashing in his sleep, if the fire burning through his body was any indication. It felt like he'd been running marathons and fighting monsters for days on end. His muscles ached and his skin tingled all over, he was absolutely _parched_ and it didn't appear his bed made it out unscathed either. In his sleep he'd been kicking and fighting so hard that the comforter had been thrown completely off, and he realized the only reason he wasn't completely on the floor was because the sheets had been ripped from the mattress and were currently completely tangled in his legs.

Satisfied of where he was and that he was indeed awake, Cloud pulled his legs off the bed and let his arms slip out from beneath him. His head hit the floor with a solid _thunk_ of wood. Sucking in a deep breath, he stared at the ceiling over him as his heart beat and banged and kicked and screamed against his ribs. It beat so forcefully that it was painful to bear and his face twisted in a small grimace. Several minutes passed. Cloud didn't dare move until he'd calmed down. The blood rushing through his body was still full of a fiery burn and he felt uncomfortably hot. His breathing took several minutes to slow down enough to be considered normal, but his heart continued racing long after. He wasn't sure how long he lay there, but when it seemed he'd be able to move he slowly turned onto his side, bending to his legs to unwrap the sheets from them. Once freed he stood slowly, unbelieving as his legs trembled beneath his weight. Taking an unsteady step, he gained his bearings before walking to and out the door of his room.

There was a strange flavor in the back of his throat, something so cold and sharp his body demanded cleansing water and lots of it.


	2. First Meeting

_**.:`'~ Legacy ~'`:.**_

-=-=-=-=-=-

Dreaming about providence  
And whether mice or men have second tries  
Maybe we've been livin' with our eyes half open  
Maybe we're bent and broken,

Broken

_-=-=-=-=-=-_

Suddenly, there was a bright green flash and then a jolt of _something_, leaving Squall standing helplessly with the room spinning around him.

_Who are **you?**_

Squall blinked, not sure if he'd heard anything at first. The room was still tilted a little but it was getting better, though it did little for his confidence of _what_ he'd heard, plain as day. His narrowed eyes glanced to the left and right of him, then he turned his head to survey the room behind him. He didn't _see_ anyone else, but he'd definitely heard someone. It was an unfamiliar voice, quiet and calm, definitely masculine and definitely .._accusing?_ It sounded like the voice was _annoyed_ with him, annoyed and defensive of him being there.

_What _are_ you doing here?_

The SeeD turned his head sharply and looked behind him. Again, nothing. Just the same stony wall that had been sitting there before. Nothing and no one there. "What do you mean what am I doing here?" He asked, a little defensive himself. Where the hell was it coming from?

_This isn't the Lifestream. _The tone was cautious and hesitant, as if slowly making an observation.

Feeling himself beginning to become annoyed, the mercenary scanned the room for the sixth time. No big surprise he didn't see anyone, again. But the voice was there and he heard it as clear as day. It wasn't his imagination. Perhaps a side effect? He considered the possibility. Could it be.. ...in his head?

_That would be the day_, he thought. His friends would just love to see him talking to voices in his head. If word of this got out..

_...You're not supposed to be here. _The voice spoke slowly this time, seeming to come to a realization.

Squall became irritated, though the words couldn't be more true. He wasn't supposed to be here, he was supposed to be back in his own time, not stuck on some strange world. "What do you mean?" He asked again firmly, demanding an answer. It didn't help the fact he had the feeling the voice was talking about something else entirely beyond his scope of perception. . How much more out of place could he possibly be?

_Actually.._ The voice started again, slowly. Squall could've _sworn_ he felt something poking his brain. As ridiculous as that sounded, he felt a tingle prickle along his scalp before the voice spoke again. _You're not even.. Who are you?_

A little uneased at the tone in the voice but refusing to let it get to him, he scowled. "Squall." He answered sharply, then filling absolutely ridiculous he asked, "Are you in my head?"

_Your head?_ The voice sounded slightly amused, but seemed to take the thought into serious consideration. A few long moments were drawn out in silence, before it quietly admitted. _I guess that makes more sense._

"What do you mean?" Ugh, this was the third time he's asked in an attempt for a clear answer and he had yet to receive it. It was very frustrating, and he couldn't believe he was talking to a voice in his head. Seriously. He was appalled and of all things, ashamed. Was this really necessary? Was he honestly hearing freaking _voices_?

_I think it's just me._

"That doesn't make me feel any better." He growled at the voice, then paused. "Wait. You heard that?"

_Yeah._

"Don't do that!" He snapped.

_Do what?_

"Read my mind!"

There was a pause, and then the voice sounded insulted. _It's not my _fault_! I'm _in_ the damn thing! _ The voice muttered, and then said defensively, _Besides it's not like I'm _trying_ to._ Squall suddenly felt uncomfortable. Wait.. That didn't make sense. He -was- uncomfortable, but he suddenly realized it wasn't him that was _uncomfortable_. Well, he _was_ but what he'd just felt hadn't been _his_. This didn't make any sense! This was his _head_! Who the hell thought they could just go in there?!

"Who are you?" He asked the obvious question, more than irritated at the situation and not bothering to hide the fact. Unfortunately, this did little to encourage the voice to cooperate with him. Instead, the voice was quiet. He forced himself to calm down. Taking a deep breath, Squall walked over to the bed of his room and sat on it, pinching the bridge of his nose in a motion that was fast becoming familiar.

"Look," He began after several minutes had passed with nothing, "Just get out, alright?"

_I can't, I'm in your head._

"I know that!" He snapped, lowering his hand and scowling at nothing in particular. "I mean get out of my head!"

_How?_

He couldn't help the flare of annoyance. "What do you mean how? Just leave!"

…_..I can't._

"What do you mean you can't?!"

At this the voice became annoyed, it was easy to hear the change of tone. _I __**can't**__. Do you honestly think I'd still be here otherwise? Think about it._

Squall thought he could detect an underlying meaning to that, but didn't bother trying to decipher it. He was annoyed and irritated at this complete invasion of privacy. "Have you tried?" He growled, wanting to take his frustration out on whoever was behind the voice. He wanted a reaction, damn it. If he had to be upset over this then so did.. he! Or it, or whatever!

_Of course I've tried!_ The voice huffed, sighing in its own frustration and Squall could detect a faint, very faint sense of insult at his question of gender.

Squall hunched forwards and rested his elbows on his stretched knees, hands dangling in front of him. He bit the inside of his cheek and considered his options, coming up with absolutely nothing which only infuriated him more. It wasn't long before he came to the conclusion that being upset over it and arguing wasn't going to help at all, he'd need to calm down and consider options.

_Mm._ The voice grunted in agreement.

"Stop it." He muttered in response. Besides, who said he could trust it? It could be lying to him.

_Sorry. ...And I'm not lying. _Now it sounded clipped and guarded, and it was obvious that now the voice was definitely not happy about the situation either. It's apparent confusion over the predicament was just as frustrating for it as it was for the mercenary.

"You never answered my question." Squall pointed out, determined to get _something_ out of this ridiculousness.

_What question?_

He bit back a sigh of frustration, biting the words he -wanted- to say and knowing that the voice knew what he meant.

_..Cloud._

"What?" He could hear bitterness in his voice, and he felt smug about it.

_My name. It's.. Cloud._

Squall groaned at the name and the obvious relation, covering his face with his hands and wishing he had a pillow to smother himself with instead.

…_..............:`' ~ Author's Notes ~'`:................_

_How did you like the second teaser? This is obviously Squall and Cloud's first 'introduction'. Innnnteresting, isn't it? This is like the fourth version of it. I purposely left out several details that would otherwise give the plot away, so expect this scene to change a little in the actual story itself and use that as an excuse for any choppiness you see. I just wanted to give you guys a heads up about how Cloud's going to be reintroduced into the story, much to Squall's frustration. You'll have to excuse his temper, he's had a few rough days previous to this. This is just sort of like, icing on the cake, if you would for him. You can also tell Cloud got annoyed with him fairly quickly, also. I'll probably have a version of this from Cloud's point of view in the storyline itself, probably the chapter after it or something, which should explain what the heck he's thinking about._

_What did ya'll think? Ya like it, or think it should go differently?_


	3. Chance Encounter

"Yooo!"

The voice came out of nowhere, startling Squall. He turned around, noticing Nanaki had already stopped and faced the direction the voice had come from, ears erect and tail frozen. The call echoed off the snow-covered cliffs around them, and Squall could see a dark figure approaching them from around the bend they'd passed several minutes ago, waving an arm frantically. His eyes narrowed a little. _Where did..? _

As the figure got closer, he came to realize that despite the cold surrounding them the stranger only had a blanket wrapped around himself, tattered, worn and most definitely unwashed. It only covered his shoulders and fell down to his knees, leaving a bit of his chest and most of his arms and legs bare to the elements. Strangely, the figure didn't appear any more uncomfortable with the cold than a slight chattering of his teeth and the occasional shiver. As he stopped about ten feet from them, he adjusted his old blanket and bounced from bare foot to foot, obviously keeping them off the ground as much as possible.

"Hey!" He called again, his voice cracking a little.

Squall shifted his weight cautiously, deliberately setting his hand on the hilt of his gunblade at his hip. Nanaki seemed to remain on guard also, although his tail had slowly begun to weave through the air again. The lion eyed the strange man suspiciously, saying nothing as the stranger looked from Squall to him in a very weary manner, then back again.

"Uhh.. Where you guys headed?" The stranger asked again, his voice broken by his chattering teeth. He was obviously cold, his skin an unhealthy blue tint and voice slightly strained, but Squall still thought he was taking the weather rather unusually well. At least, for being naked with only a blanket to warm him.

When it became apparent that Squall wasn't feeling too inclined to answer, Nanaki finally spoke. "North," He said, and wasn't surprised when the stranger blinked at him, mouth open and gawking a little.

"Whoa. You talk!"

Nanaki ducked his head in a small dip of acknowledgement. "Are you lost?" He asked the stranger, who nodded a little after a moment's hesitance.

"Yea, kinda. I sorta got dumped here, sooo~ If it's.. would it be alright if I kinda tagged along with you two? I know it's not really smart of me to ask, nor of you to agree, but it's _really_ cold and as you can see, I sorta lost my clothes, too. So, if it's alright, if I could just kinda come along with you guys, I promise I won't be any trouble! You won't even know I'm here, honestly. I'll walk ten feet behind at all times!"

Nanaki glanced to Squall to see the mercenary watching the man with a calculating look, one eyebrow lifted as the man rambled on. The lion couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy. He at least had his thick fur to protect him from the cold, and Squall had been given thick clothes to wear. It was dangerous to be so far north without protection from the freezing wind. He was fairly certain if they left the human he'd be frozen within a day or two. He didn't sense anything wrong about him, the man showed no fear. He seemed genuine. Nanaki opened his mouth.

"Dumped?" Squall interrupted, keeping his hand on the hilt of his gunblade, not giving any indication of relaxing his posture anytime soon.

Despite Squall's apprehension the stranger didn't seem phased. He just nodded his head. "Yea. Long story, really. But I'll tell you, I promise, if you _please_ just let me come along. I forgot how cold it is here, and I'm freeeeezing." He exaggerated the last word, still shifting his weight from foot to foot, practically hopping in place in the snow.

Nanaki turned his head back to Squall. "Do we have an extra blanket?" He knew that they did.

Squall nodded, keeping his eyes on the stranger for a moment before finally relaxing his stance. He trusted Nanaki, and if the lion creature felt safe enough to offer him a blanket, then Squall would go by his judgment. He reached behind him, pulling the heavy sack off his back. Setting it on the ground with a heavy, crisp thud he unstrapped the flap, pulling out a thick wool blanket. Squall held it out to the stranger, who walked forward and took it eagerly.

After he'd wrapped himself in the second layer, the stranger gave a sigh of relief. "Oh man, you have no idea how grateful I am. Seriously. It isn't everyday someone comes up stark naked in the snow, so I really do appreciate what you're doing for me." Then he smiled, and it was such a friendly, disarming smile that Nanaki found himself smiling back. Though, he thought sardonically, his own smile would probably set people running.

"What are you doing out here?" Squall asked, interrupting Nanaki's thoughts. He closed the bag, swinging it over his shoulders and readjusting the straps as he straightened. He didn't completely trust this stranger, but the man seemed friendly enough. He couldn't have any weapons on him, naked as he was. Squall actually sort of felt bad for him. He got dumped here?

"I uh, got lost?" The man said with such a helplessly hopeless tone that made Squall exhaled loudly.

Holding his hands up in defeat the stranger's grin widened. "Alright, ya got me. Well, I'm kinda.. looking for someone." The man admitted, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head with his grin still intact. Once again he looked between his two rescuers, his eyes resting finally on Nanaki. The lion caught his look and ducked his head a little, tilting it to the side.

"Do you two know each other?" Unknowingly voicing Nanaki's thoughts, Squall couldn't help but notice that the man kept giving the lion a familiar look; as though he knew him.

"Nah." The stranger said, shaking his head. "I just.. I mean, he's a talking lion. That's not really something you say everyday, y'know?"

Nanaki couldn't help but huff under his breath. He was used to those reactions, having suffered through them for the past five hundred years. But it still upset him sometimes.

The SeeD shrugged a little, turning the conversation back to the subject at hand. "Who are you looking for?"

The man hesitated, and both Squall and Nanaki noticed this, looking to each other before looking back at him. "A friend of mine." He finally answered, nodding in satisfaction with his words. "Yep. Good friend of mine. Say, let's mosey, huh? It's not getting any warmer out here." He flashed them a bright, toothy grin. Nanaki tilted his head curiously again, his tail swishing softly in the air behind him.

"That is a good idea. Night will be coming shortly and we must make camp before then. It is best to get as far as we can. By the way.. my name is Nanaki. This is my companion, Squall."

Squall gave the man a curt nod. "And you?" He asked, grey eyes narrowing just a little curiously.

The man beamed at them, stepping forward to join their group with his hand extended. "Call me Donovan." (1)

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…_**..............:`' ~ Author's Notes ~'`:................**_

_1) *cackles*_

I'd like to call everyone's attention to the Prologue of Legacy. I wrote a few new things down in the author's note at the end of it, a few warnings for the Legacy story as a whole. Please take care to read them.


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